Book picks similar to
The Root by Amy Cross


horror
fiction
all
demon-or-evil-beings

The Face of Midnight


Dan Padavona - 2016
     She might even be sleeping in your bed right now. But danger is closing in on Becca. New York's most-feared serial killer, The Midnight Killer, is butchering victims on his way across the state. After Becca flees from a deranged stalker, she takes shelter inside an abandoned farmhouse. Something evil lurks within the house, and a freak October storm has trapped Becca inside. And it's Halloween Night.

Forbidden Fruit


Calvin Demmer - 2017
    Casey, author of Stygian Doorways

The Monsters We Forgot: Volume 1


R.C. BowmanLeah Velez - 2019
     Within these pages, you’ll find a treasure trove of myths, legends, folktales, urban legends, historical accounts, and stories about horrors, both ancient and modern, that have been hidden, ignored, or forgotten entirely. “The Monsters We Forgot” is a massive anthology of horror stories by an international team of authors ranging from award-winners and bestsellers to visionary newcomers. These stories draw inspiration from the folklore traditions of countries including Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Ireland, Wales, England, Norway, Nigeria, Greece, Poland, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States, the tales in this three-volume collection range from original folktales and chilling myths to information-age monsters and modern urban legends, and everything in between. Turn on the lights, check the locks, and settle in. You’re about to remember The Monsters We Forgot.

GORGE


Katherine Carlson - 2010
    But her fantasies about heroic outdoor survival flop as hard as her marriage. Dejected beyond measure, she takes a bus to Montana to visit an old high school suitor–someone she once suspected too sinister to pursue. Turns out her initial suspicions about him were spot-on. She soon finds herself in the exact predicament she'd so long imagined. Only now she must outwit a vast wilderness ... and sheer evil.Marty Clawson's got a big problem: 264 pounds’ worth. Doc warns of dire consequences if something doesn't change, but Marty's already tried every diet on the market plus an endless list of her own concoctions. Still, she devises a NEW PLAN–and unlike the others–this one is terrifying: a rendezvous with the state park, a place she considers the very heart of darkness (and snack-free) where she won't emerge again until she is thin. Hubby Raymond believes the method too dangerous–abandoning his super-sized wife like a broken dresser–and refuses to help with her scheme; his crap attitude, along with everything else, changes when she catches him in bed with an aging porn star. Surviving the backwoods alone is challenging for a seasoned outdoorsman but unthinkable for a woman nearing red-alert obesity; yet, she believes it's her last chance to avoid eating herself to death. Despite Ray's newfound assistance, Marty fails at her plan. Desperate and depressed, she contacts Logan Myers, a peculiar boy from her past. Her hopelessness prompts her to accept his offer of bus fare north into the unforgiving Montana bush where he hunts and traps wild animals.Logan soon reveals himself to be far worse than she remembered. So bad that he tosses her to the elements as punishment for rejecting him. In a wicked and ironic twist, her once farfetched idea morphs into an epic web of repetitious terrain and pure malevolence. Now she needs to make it back to the Greyhound station before nightfall, without getting mauled by a random grizzly or discovered by a roaming psychopath determined to hunt her down.THE CHASE IS ON.

What Lies Below


Helen Phifer - 2020
    Will Madeleine Hart discover the horrors hidden below, before it's too late?Bestselling writer Madeleine Hart has run away from her life in London and abusive ex Connor. Crumbling Lakeview Hall in the Armboth Valley, abandoned decades earlier, is the perfect Lakeland hideaway for Maddy to make a fresh start, finish her book and disappear from the world.But strange things start to happen. The house is too big and the fear that Connor has tracked her down soon becomes a terrifying reality. Enlisting the help of Seth, who runs the village pub to help solve the mystery of what's happening in the unloved mansion, she doesn't realise that the past and the present are about to collide in a fight to survive.

The Vanishing of The Georgia Rose: Book 0


J.S. Donovan - 2018
    Faced with overwhelming odds, Arden enlists the help of the victim’s damaged father, a veteran with a short fuse. Will Arden’s temporary alliance be the solution to her problem or her downfall?

Thirteen Degrees: 13 Scary Stories and Tales of Horror


Brenden Dean - 2015
    Bring a blanket, huddle around the fire, and try to keep warm as you encounter psychotic abductors, deadly spirits and demons of the woods. When They Come Alone - One man's Halloween ritual is far more vicious than it seems. His playful prank is a mask for something more. A Monster in his Closet - A boy is troubled by something in his closet. But, as we will soon see, there is no monster in his closet. Eat Your Heart Out - A quarreling lesbian couple's camping trip goes awry. They may not survive the night when something intrudes in the night. Meet Me at the Looking Tree - A tragic tale of two boys, a towering tree, and a new pair of binoculars. When one of them goes missing, the other's life will never be the same. The Deer Cam - An avid hunter's first hunt of the season turns horrific when noises send him running home. The terror is not over when noises accompany his sleep. What Mustn't be Seen - One night, a boy hears his next door neighbor's home being invaded. But what he witnesses is much worse than a couple of thieves. He Who Waits - Ever since childhood, a girl is constantly watched by a suited man just outside her home. Nobody else can see him. Later in life, a tragedy shows the man's dreadful intentions. The Orb - A metallic, glowing sphere lands in a small town, and those who come close to it are flooded with euphoric visions. Those who touch it disappear in a flash. But unknown horrors await them on the other side. The Way of the World - A wealthy man invites a beggar over for dinner, but the menu may not be to his liking. You Should've Opened the Door - A lonely woman hears news of an escaped killer. That night, the strange knocking begins. Forgetful - A man awaits much needed sleep. But he soon realizes he has forgotten a few routine things. One of which may cost him his life. Sensations - A little girl enjoys spending the night at her grandparents, save for the fact that something visits her at night. Soon, she will learn the horrid truth of the sensations she feels at night. A Stranger's Approach - A distraught woman is having enough trouble affording life when a stranger begins to follow her. Quickly, the stalking becomes too much, and a fateful climax ensues. What people are saying about Brenden Dean's works - “Beautifully written. Absolutely amazing.” –David B. “Holy s***. That was amazing.” -Jacob S. “Now that’s how you write a f****** twist.” -Stefan T. “There’s a lot of good stories out there, but [When They Come Alone] is great.” -Fredrick H. “. . . It's very well written and personable. High praise.” -R. Bowers “F****** amazing. I love it.” -Paula M. “Oh, this is the first thing I’ve read on /r/NoSleep that actually freaked me out. Good job. Good f****** job.” -Cassie A. “Wow. Holy s***. . . The ending really got me.” -Bradley S. "This is probably the saddest story I’ve ever read on /r/NoSleep. God damn, made me cry even.

They Came with the Rain


Christopher Coleman - 2020
    And rain wasn't in the forecast.Then one June night, a day after the opening of a massive sinkhole at the town's edge, torrential rain descends on Garmella.The rain brings relief to the town, but that's not all that comes with the rain.By morning, an ancient evil has consumed the town. An evil responsible for countless deaths and disappearances over the centuries.Now, Ramon Thomas, sheriff of Garmella, and his deputy Allie, as well as a small group of survivors, must confront the evil before it spreads beyond Garmella to the rest of the world, threatening the destruction of civilization.

Bedlam Boy: The Forger & The Traitor


Ian W. Sainsbury - 2020
    Sainsbury. Two short, punchy, action-packed episodes in each book.They murdered his parents, shot him in the head, and left him to die. They should have made sure.Twenty years after Tom Lewis watched his parents die, those responsible are being killed. One by one.Gentle, brain-damaged Tom, a giant of a man who can barely speak, can’t be responsible for their deaths. Can he?When Tom Lewis was shot, something new was created. Something unique. Something deadly. Something patient enough to plan revenge for twenty long years.Meet Bedlam Boy

The Butterfly Tattoo


M.D. Thomas - 2020
    Jon, guilt-ridden because he forgot to make sure his son had buckled up, will do anything to save his relationship with his wife. Bartender Elle doesn’t believe in guilt, even as it accelerates her descent into alcoholism. Narcotics officer Harvey has been stealing seized drug money for months to pay off his grandparent’s debt, unaware his superiors are onto him. Their struggles morph from difficult to life-threatening when Lee’s spirit finds each of them.They all think they know what Lee’s spirit is after. They’re all wrong. Drawn ever-closer together, their mistakes and misdeeds accumulate until Lee’s spirit latches onto one of them, and if they can’t figure out the truth in time, everybody they care about might die.

The Gathering


Boris Bacic - 2021
    

The Lost Island


P.K. Hawkins - 2020
    

Hello Darkness


Sam Best - 2012
    Along with his four-year-old daughter, he hopes to make a new life for his family, free from the painful memories that still haunt them both.But old memories never fade. Visions of Ben’s deceased wife follow him to Colorado — and that’s just the beginning. An ancient evil is hunting his daughter from the shadows, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.As the good people of Falling Rock disappear one by one, Ben must join with the few who remain in a last stand to destroy a malevolent force that will consume every last human soul.Hello Darkness tells an epic invasion from hell story of good vs evil on a small town vs monster scale.Note: This creepy horror story contains some disturbing scenes and will make you want to sleep with the lights on.

A Man Out of Time


Christopher Laflan - 2017
    A single father with a secret of his own, will do anything to give his daughter a better life, but the sacrifice may be greater than anything he could have ever imagined. Five years after the Chinese Axis detonated an unknown weapon of mass destruction off the southern coast of the United States, Special Ops Sergeant John Crider and the members of Shadow Company have finally captured what they all hope will lead to the end of the war. Unfortunately, the population within the United States is no longer sustainable. In an effort to stabilize the economy, the government enacts the Cryonics Act. One hundred years in suspended animation, all debt forgiven, and a chance at a less crowded future are too good to pass up for John and his young daughter. Except not everything always goes as planned as Sergeant John Crider finds himself pitted against a land of prehistoric monsters genetically resurrected from the fossil record, murderous inhabitants, and a future he never wanted.

Claws


Russell James - 2019
    Two overnight campers go missing, but before the rangers can investigate, shady Homeland Security agent Glen Larsson arrives to close the park due to a purportedly imminent red tide. Things quickly escalate out of control when mercenaries arrive to back up Larsson and imprison the rangers. Larsson’s plan is to free a cast of giant crabs to overrun the park, and then Florida beyond. It’s up to Kathy and Nathan to escape the fort, and then, with the help of an old Coast Guard vet and a scientist with inside knowledge of the plot, to save millions of innocents from rampaging giant crabs. But Larsson’s evil plan has been decades in the making, and the crabs seem indestructible. It will take courage, teamwork, and perhaps the ultimate sacrifice, to avert disaster.